Internet TV finally taking hold

I don’t know what they are watching in Tunisia as shown above, but if places like that can be going to net TV it begs the question; Will 2008 be the year we can finally drop our expensive cable bills? It’s sure looking like it.

Joost is constantly adding content, ABC and CBS announced they will stream shows in HD, and media boxes such as the Apple TV becoming popular. Television networks finally seem willing and ready to distribute their TV shows on the web, and hardware manufacturers are finally making easy-to-use media boxes that will bring the web to the living room. There’s also TV sets emerging like the Sylvania combo TV that has a built in Linux based streaming video player along with regular, HDTV, TV, CATV and video inputs.

Do you think we’re finally there, the Internet-based TV-on-demand? If so, local TV stations like KHSL, KNVN, and KRCR had better get with the program soon or miss the boat. Maybe they can show Dave Vanore’s pig, Winnie, 24/7 as some porcine reality TV.

I’m proud to have made the very first live Internet TV system in Chico, which has been used now for over a year to broadcast City Council, School Board, and Planning commission meetings via the web. Its free, try it out sometime at this link If you have DSL or a Cable modem it will work well for you. It may not be as interesting as Tunisia TV, but maybe some city councilors could be convinced to liven up the show a bit.

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One thought on “Internet TV finally taking hold”

Dang, Anthony, where the heck have I been? I missed this completely! Oh, well, I am there now. Congratulations on your accomplishment. Is there anything you can’t do? (I hope no pigs were harmed or humiliated in this venture.)

I have not subscribed to cable for at least 20 years and have no plans for the next 20, given I live that long.

IMHO cable has always been exorbitant for the “service” it provides. My experience (and later second hand experience) with cable companies revealed that they have a core business philosophy based upon a cult of arrogance and surly evasion (when you could could actually reach a real person) To be fair, AT&T and many other communications companies have adopted a similar customer service model.

That said — competition is EVERYTHING! Cable companies and perhaps even broadcast will fast become a dinosaur or shape up. Personally, I think cable deserves extinction and hope broadcast is eternal. Nevertheless I am convinced that on demand is the wave of the future. Heck, I am the perfect subscriber, I am an on demand kind of guy.

With regard to video I do just fine with broadcast. I have to admit that I would enjoy some pay TV content, particularly those channels that produce historical and science programming. Nevertheless, I can get all the printed history and science my heart desires with a mouse click on a “high speed” Internet connection. Video streams typically suck at my end but there is more printed material nearly instantly available to me because of the Internet than I could read in a dozen lifetimes. I certainly wouldn’t want to spend a dozen lifetimes watching the majority of content available on cable TV or even satellite.